Adjustable guard frame for beds and the like



May 14, 1963 c. E. MURCOTT 3,089,152

ADJUSTABLE GUARD FRAME FOR BEDS AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 25, 1961 INVENTOR. CHARLES 5 Mmcorr HTTORNEY United States atent 3,089,152 ADJUSTABLE GUARD FRAME FOR BEDS AND THE LIKE Charles E. Murcott, Valley Drive, Bay Crest, Huntington, N.Y. Filed Sept. 25, 1961, Ser. No. 140,537 6 Claims. (Cl. -331) This invention relates to guard frames for use in connection with hospital or other beds for retaining an occupant of the bed against accidental displacement. More particularly, the invention deals with a frame structure, wherein the side guard frames are of such construction as to facilitate movement thereof into a position below the upper surface of the bed mattress when the frames are in inoperative position to facilitate free access to the bed in moving a patient onto and removing the patient from the bed.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a guard frame made according to my invention, with part of the construction re moved and with parts broken away and in section, the frame being shown in its lowered or inoperative position in full lines and also indicating in dotted lines the support of one end of the frame in raised position; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged broken away sectional view substantially on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and diagrammatically illustrating, in dot-dash lines, portions of a mattress and box spring of a bed.

This application constitutes a continuation-in-part of the structure disclosed in my earlier application filed November 12, 1959, Serial Number 852,437, now Patent No. 3,002,200, issued October 3, 1961.

In the present construction, I provide two spreader frames 10, 10, note FIG. 1, which are arranged between the mattress of a bed shown in part, in dot-dash lines, at 11 in FIG. 2 and the box spring 12, also indicated in dot-dash lines. In FIG. 2 of the drawing, the spreader frame 10 is shown in detail and it will be understood that the companion frame 10 is of identical construction; thus, the brief description of one frame will apply to the other.

The frame 10 comprises two tubular columns or posts 13 and 14, one of the columns or posts of the frame 10 being indicated at 13 in FIG. 1 of the drawing. Welded or otherwise fixed to the columns or posts 13, 14 are pull-out pin devices, one of which is shown at 15 on the post 13 in FIG. 1 and the companion device on the post 13 is indicated at 15. It will be understood that similar devices are on the post '14 at the opposed side of the bed.

Now, considering FIG. 2 of the drawing, welded to the posts 13, 14 are angularly extending tubes 16 and 17 which telescope one with the other. The tube 16 has a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures 18, with which a pin 19 is adapted to be coupled in adjustably spacing the posts 13, 1 4 for positioning at opposed sides of the bed. The tube 17 may also have one or more apertures 20 for reception of the pin 19.

At 21 in FIG. 1 of the drawing, I have shown a side view of one of the guard frames and, as and when employed, an identical frame 21' is arranged at the opposed side of the bed, the latter being indicated in FIG. 2 of the drawing.

Each guard frame is of identical construction; thus, the brief description of the frame 21 will apply to the frame 21. The frame 21 comprises what might be termed ice a wide U-shaped tubular member 22, comprising a lower horizontal rail 23 and upstanding side rails 24, the latter terminating in upwardly and downwardly curved upper portions 25 terminating in long downwardly extended support tubes 26. The tubes 26 are spaced from the rails 24- and extend below the bottom rail 23, the lower ends of the tubes being closed by rubber or other plugs, one of which is shown in section at 27 at the right of FIG. 1 of the drawing.

Adjacent the lower end of the tubes 26, the wall of the tube is provided with an aperture 28, it being understood that a similar aperture is on the tube 26 shown at the left of FIG. 1. In the construction shown, the apertures 28 are preferably arranged on inner surfaces of the tubes 26. However, they can be positioned on other surfaces, if desired. It will appear that, by arranging the apertures 28 on the inner surfaces of the tubes 26, the pin devices 15, 15' will be disposed within the environment of the frame 21 and the pins of these devices are adapted to enter the apertures 28 in support of the frame 21 in the raised operative position. At the right of FIG. 1, the column or post 13 of the spreader 10 is indicated in dotted lines in the position assumed by the spreader in support of the frame 21 in raised position. It will be understood that the structures above described are applicable to the frame 21' in support thereof in raised position.

The rails 24 of the frame 21 are joined and braced by what might be termed an elongated O-frame 29 which, in the construction shown, is composed of two U-shaped tubular frame parts 30 and 31, the part 30 being of larger diameter than the part 31, so that 31 fits snugly within the ends of the frame 30', as indicated in the sectional portion at the lower part of the frame 29. The two parts are preferably secured together by a suitable fastening, as at 32.

The rounded ends of the parts 30, 31 are shaped, as seen at 33 and 34, to partially encircle the rails 24 in definitely keying the frame 29 to the rails 24 and suitable fastening devices 35 and 36 are employed to secure the frame 29 in definite position on the rails 24 so that each frame 21, 21 will have three spaced horizontal guard rails disposed at sides of the bed when the guard frames are in raised position. It will be noted, from a consideration of FIG. 1, that the curved upper portions 25 extend slightly above the upper rail of the frame 29.

Now, in considering FIG. 2 of the drawing, it will appear that, when the frames 21, 21 are in their lowered positions, these highest curved portions of the frames 21, 21 are positioned well below the upper surface 11' of the mattress 11 so that the bed is clear for movement of a patient onto or off from the bed.

The upper portions of the support tubes 26- have stop members 37 which check downward movement of the tubes 26 in the columns or posts 13, 13', it being understood that similar stops are employed on the frame 21, one of which is indicated at 37 in FIG. 2 of the drawing. From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the frames 21, 21' have two definite positions, namely the raised position, where 15, 15 engage the apertures 28, and the lowered position, with 37, 37 striking the upper ends of the columns or posts 13, '13 and 14. It will further be apparent that, whenever desired, the frames 21, 21 can be removed from the spreader frames 10, 10 by simply supporting the devices 15, 15 in inoperative position and drawing the support tubes 26 upwardly through the columns or posts 13, 13, this latter operation being desirable, particularly inthe making-up of the bed.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a pair of spreader frames having tubular posts at end portions thereof, a guard frame joining the posts at one common end of the spreader frames, said guard frame having at its ends elongated vertical support tubes slidably mounted in the posts of said spreader frames, means on said support tubes engaging said posts in checking downward movement of the support tubes in said posts, interengaging means between the posts and support tubes for support of the guard frame in raised position in said posts, means spaced With respect to said support tubes forming a guard rail portion when the guard frame is in raised position in said posts, said guard rail including a Wide U-shaped member having a horizontal rail and upwardly extending side rails, and said rails being spaced from and joining the support tubes in upper rounded portions.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the guard rail portion further includes an elongated O-frame secured to and bracing the side rails of said U-shaped memher.

3. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein said O-frame includes rounded ends partially enveloping said side rails, and means fiXing the O-frame to said side rails.

4. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein said 0- frame comprises two U-shaped tubular parts having ends fitting one within the other.

5. A device as defined in claim 4, wherein means is employed for securing the parts of the O-frame against relative movement.

6. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the U-shaped member in each frame includes bracing means extending between and fixed to upper portions of the side rails of said guard rail portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,624,055 Rude Jan. 6, 1953 2,811,726 Dyett et al Nov. 5, 1957 3,002,200 Murcott Oct. 3, 1961 3,012,255 Diehl Dec. 12, 1961 

1. A DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPREADER FRAMES HAVING TUBULAR POSTS AT END PORTIONS THEREOF, A GUARD FRAME JOINING THE POSTS AT ONE COMMON END OF THE SPREADER FRAMES, SAID GUARD FRAME HAVING AT ITS ENDS ELONGATED VERTICAL SUPPORT TUBES SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN THE POSTS OF SAID SPREADER FRAMES, MEANS ON SAID SUPPORT TUBES ENGAGING SAID POSTS IN CHECKING DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF THE SUPPORT TUBES IN SAID POSTS, INTERENGAGING MEANS BETWEEN THE POSTS AND SUPPORT TUBES FOR SUPPORT OF THE GUARD FRAME IN RAISES POSITION IN SAID POSTS, MEANS SPACED WITH RESPECT TO SAID SUPPORT TUBES FORMING A GUARD RAIL PORTION WHEN THE GUARD FRAME IS IN RAISED POSITION IN SAID POSTS, SAID GUARD RAIL INCLUDING A WIDE U-SHAPED MEMBER HAVING A HORIZONTAL RAIL AND UPWARDLY EXTENDING SIDE RAILS, AND SAID RAILS BEING SPACED FROM AND JOINING THE SUPPORT TUBES IN UPPER ROUNDED PORTIONS. 